Stay

Sweet Christine kissed me; my eyes beseeched her .... stay
But he came and took her from me
In his gilded, golden youth, possessive
Of his prize - mine, mine.
My own darling Angel
Who kissed me, and clung to me
But finally, in the end, I've lost her
And she has gone to sunlit days

I am bereft, my broken heart lies bleeding
My spirit writhes in agony
I cannot bear to carry on
Without her, I want nothing more
Than my end upon this earth
I welcome death, I must defeat this pain
Death is all there is left for me

The scent of her is still in me
Delicate, feminine, sweet embrace
For the first, and last time, in my life

I crawl across the floor, her wedding veil
Clutched against my weeping mouth
The fragile fabric soaked by my tears

The monkey stares with sympathetic eyes
My trembling hand covers the simian features
I sob out the lyrics to his song
And my grief tears me apart.
I am insane with longing
For what I cannot have, but only
Darkness, nothing but black, grim existence
Lies ahead
I cannot stay, but must leave life's stage
For ever

But oh! her kiss sears my soul
I can feel her, sense her, see her before me.
Imagination grown wild with yearning.

The monkey has ceased his playing
All is quiet, save for my rasping breath.
I hear again the soft swish of silken skirts
I breathe again the scent of her perfumed skin
"Oh God, take me, let me die", I cry

Slowly, slowly I raise my heavy head and stay
Crouched, but silent now, listening... there is
A soft footstep, and yet another...
And then, a gentle touch upon my hand

She stands before me, misty-pale
In her wedding gown, my bride, my love
Tears spill from her eyes that hold my wondering gaze
And from her lips the whispered words…
"Please ... stay".

©Jeanette Birt 2002